Attachment for rakes.



No. 729,468. PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

' E. L. WICK.

'ATTACHMENT POR RAKES. ,APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 1g. 190s. k

N9 MODEL.

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No.,729,46s.

UNITED STATES EDV'WIN L. WICK, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.`

ATTACHMENT FOR RAKES.

srnclFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,468, dated May 26', 190s, Application led February 14, 1903. Serial No. 143,364. (No model.) y 4 `A To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. WICK, o Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented'a new and useful Improvement in Attachments for Rakes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention is an attachment for rakes', more particularly dooryard and garden rakes, employed for the purpose of clearing the teeth of the rake of leaves, weeds, grass, or other substances or extraneous matter that may adhere to and clog the teeth. This attachment is made light, as of thin metal, and to clear the teeth of the rake needs only to be struck or pushed against the ground or some other convenient body or be pressed by the foot.

The inventionis hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side View of the device shownV attached to a rake as in use. Fig. 2 is afront end elevation of the parts seen as indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. 1, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan of the rake and attached parts seen as indicated by arrow 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan'of the perforated operating-plate of the device' detached, the section being as on the horizontal dotted line 4 4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the auxiliary spring detached.

In the drawings, A is a rake of ordinary construction, having the usual metallic head b and teeth a. B is my clearingdevice or cleaner for the teeth of the rake attached to the stale of the rake, as shown. The device B comprises a sheet-metal hollow body d, inclosing the head b of the rake and formed with a perforated plate or Hoor e to traverse the teeth, said body d being held and co`n' trolled by a spring-holder f, secured to the stale of the rake by fasteners c. The plate e is formed with a series o fholes g, Figs. 3 and 4, in line to receive through them the respectiveteeth a of the rake, so that the plate e may move up to the base of the teeth and occupy a position against the head b, in which position it is heldv normally by the springholder f.

The sides h h of the body d extend upward from therespective edges of the plate e and are cut away in curved for-m, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose of givinglightness to the device, these sides terminating in reduced parts/L' c', usually offset inwardly, as appears in Figs. 1 and 3. The reduced partsi t' are opposite,-forming pairs, each pair being pierced by a transverse bolt lo, provided with a tightening-nud. The bolts kk hold a horizontal cross-bar fm, spanning the space between them, at the middle of which bar the upper end of the spring-holder fis secured, the ends of the bar m being b ent around the respective bolts la lo, as clearly shown-in Fig. 2. The bent ends of the bar surroundingthe bolts constitute spacers for the parallel parts t c', against which ends of the bar the parts 'L' i are firmly pressed by the bolts, rendering the body d firm and stiff.

In constructing these attachments for rakes l usually employ auxiliary springs n,"Figs. 1 and 5, to reinforce the spring-holderf, though this is notessential to lmy invention.

In using the rake when the teeth become fouled it is turned and the upperpart'of the body dstruckon the ground or againstsorne other convenient object. This causes the plate e to traverse the teeth to their points, as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 1, serving to clear them of all extraneous substances that Amay adhere to them, or with the points of the teeth resting upon the ground C, as shown in Fig. 2, a pressure of the foot will serve to push the body d downward, causing the teeth to be cleared and cleaned vby the perforated plate e. The body d. being released,the spring f immediately causes it to resume its normal positionv (shown in Fig. 1) with the plate e against the under'surface of the head b of the rake. 1 f

What I claim as my invent-ionfand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-` 1. An attachment for rakes, consisting of a body having a perforated part to traverse the teeth of the rake,and sides extending upwardly from said body portion between its ends, means connecting said sides, and longitudinal means joining said connecting means, and

means for holding said perforated. part normally at the base of the teeth.l

2. An attachment for rakes, consisting of a body having a perforated part to traverse the IOO teeth of the rake, and formed with upwardlyheld by the bolts, and means for holding the perforated parts normally against the rakehead.

3. An attachment for rakes, consisting of a sheet-metal body to inclose the head of the rake, and having a perforated plate to traverse the teeth, and upwardly-extending sides, means joining said sides, a bar held by the said means, and a spring-holder for the body, secured at one end to said bar-and at the other to the rake.

4. An attachment for rakes, consisting of a body having a perforated part to traverse the teeth of the rake, said body being formed with upwardly-extended sides rising from said perforated part and having lugs offset opposite each other, a bar disposed lengthwise of said body and joined to said offset lugs, and a spring-holder connected at one end to said bar near its mid-length and the other end attached to the stale of the rake.

5. An attachment for rakes, consisting of a perforated part to traverse the teeth of the rake, said body being formed with upwardlyextended sides rising from said perforated part and having lugs offset opposite each other, a bar d isposed lengthwise of said body and joined to said oiset lugs, a spring-holder connected at one end to said bar near its midlength and the other end attached to the stale of the rake, and an auxiliary spring disposed beneath said spring-holder to reinforce the same.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 11th day of February, 1903, in the presence of two snbscribingswitnesses.

EDWIN L. WICK.

Witnesses:

ENos B. WHITMORE, lMINNIE SMITH. 

